The Vampire princess
by sailor super-starS
Summary: This has nothing to do with the sons of destiny, this has all to do with the granddaughter of destiny. What if Darran was a girl and his name was cassandra, things would be different, love triangles would happen and des tiny would actually have a heart and a softer side.
1. Chapter 1 the first flier

Chapter 1: The first flier

"So, are we going to the spot today?" Stephanie asked me as I walked beside her; I was, for some reason, very quiet today. I could not place why, but I guess it could be because my mom and I got into a fight again and she slapped my face. However, that was not it; I was used to her slapping me around by now.

"No, I have to go home" I said sounding off and distant as I usually did after a fight with my mother.

"You have a fight with your mom again?" Steph asked me, she was watching me, and I could feel her eyes on my face that hidden behind my long black curly hair that I used as a curtain to hid my facial expressions.

I looked at her and raised my face to her to smile, "You know me well," I said as I saw her eyes widen, i knew she saw the mark on my face. I had hidden it so well, now the truth revealed to the one person that I hated burdening with my problems, I hid my face again and looked down at the sidewalk.

"Cassandra! Your face is bruised!" Steph shouted with tears building in her eyes, I had to look when she shouted at me, it was a fear reflex I have had since I was 8 years old. My dad was verbally abusive to my mother and she physically abusive to me, she always took her anger from my father out on me, I do not understand why though. I know she does not hate me, or does she?

"It's no big deal" I said with a light nervous laugh, "I'm used to it by now, you know how my mom gets after a fight with my dad" I said laughing now, but tears where falling as I laughed through my pain.

Steph stood there watching me with a horror stricken face, she had only seen me like this once and even then it scared her. "Stop it! How can you laugh at your pain like that!" she shouted. "Come to my house tonight, I can help you Cassy" she said pleading to me.

"I have to go home, my dad will worry and my mother will…worry," I said wiping away my tears, "I have to go, see you later Steph" I said hurrying down the street to me house. I quickly went inside and right to my room, I heard my dad in the living room, he did not sound happy and neither did my mom. I listened to the loud conversation that was taking place, "please don't leave daddy, don't leave me" I whispered as I heard him pacing the floor near the front door. I heard it open and he walk out, "No…" I heard myself say in a whisper. The sound of her footsteps could be heard coming from below and the sound of them getting closer filled me with fear, "no…!" I said weakly as I curled up on my bed.

My mother walked in caring nothing but her fists and tears on her face and in her eyes " good your home, get over here" she said hatefully, when i didn't move she walked over to me and begin beating me. "You are a bad girl for not listening to me!" she screamed at me.

'why?...why does she beats me?...is it because she is afraid to lay hands on daddy because she knows he will hit her back?...I'm being beat because I'm the weaker one and i don't fight back. i don't want to fight back...i don't wanna hurt mommy, but she is hurting me...mommy stop, someone help...' these thoughts ran through my head as she punched, slapped, and scratched me in every part of my body that I did not cover. I had to protect my stomach, I could care less about my face. That's when I heard a shout and something make contact with something else, I couldn't tell what was going on, my eyes where to swollen to tell.

"Cassy? Can you hear me?" a worried voice asked me, it was my father.

"Daddy, I can't move," I said in a voice as it cracked, I felt him lift me with the softest of touches I could tell he was trying not to scar my body into shock. I felt the rush of a warm breeze, with that I knew he had carried me outside and he tried his best to open the car door. I could tell he didn't want to put me down, so I found the car door handle and opened the door to the best of my ability, I could hear my father crying as he watch me try so hard to help.

"Don't Cassy! Let me do it" I heard him say, my arm fell limply to my side and I watched as he opened the door and he placed me into the passenger side seat.

"Ah!" I could not help but shout in pain, I heard my father sob just after my cry of pain, I could tell he felt guilty about what happened, he didn't know, so it was not his fault. "Dad, don't cry," I said as he looked at me from the drivers seat, I was lying back in the seat buckled up; I knew where he was taken me, the hospital in town.

"Dad, they will…blame you for this…you know they will" I said watching as he looked back at the road.

"I know that Cassy, but…it is my fault, I should have known that your mother was hurting you, the way she talked about you and said thinks about you in such hatred. I didn't want to believe…Cassy I'm so sorry" my father sobbed. I could not help but cry too, it stung but I did not care, my father was hurting, the only person that cared about me…other than Steph. He was hurting because I didn't have the courage to tell him, and did the cowardly thing and took the beatings from my mother, because I was weak.

We made it to the hospital and he pulled right up to the emergency room front doors, he got out of the car and came to my side, he picked me up gentle and shouted for help repeatedly. Nurses came running and Doctors rushed over, some gave looks as if he was a murderer and some looked sympathetic. Nevertheless, it was all a lie, my mother lied about my father it was never him, it was she. Doctors asked what happened as they looked me over, my bruises where changing colors from minor to sever, my face looked like hell, "We need to check her for internal bleeding and any damage to the organs" said one doctor to a nurse. "Quickly bring me a stretcher!" the doctor shouted over his shoulder to two paramedics', I watched the men rush away and come back less than a minute with my stretcher.

My father explained that my mother was the one that hurt me, he never said anything about himself, and he never even tried to defend himself. "Dad-dy!" I said in a gruff voice, I felt myself begin to lose my consciousness, 'this is not good I cannot tell them it was not his fault, dad, tell them! Tell them you didn't do it!' my mind screamed at him as things began to go dark.

"Cassy it will be alright! I promise!" my father shouted after me as he stood in the lobby being held back by nurses to keep him from coming back to me, 'no it wasn't his fault, let him come back with me' I though.

"Daddy!" I shouted that was the last thing I remember as I passed out from exhaustion.

I awoke to the sound of light chatter, I looked over to see two nurses and when they noticed I was, awake they stopped talking and came to my bedside with tears in their eyes. "Thank goodness you woke up, we where so scared" said the first nurse, her name tag said Betty, the second nurse agreed with her with a nod, her name tag said Rachel.

"My dad?" I said looking at them, the nurse name Rachel rushed out the room with tears streaming down her face, now I was worried. "My dad?" I said again, Nurse Betty gave me a sad look but answered me.

"Your father had been arrested" she said her face was grave.

"But why! He was not the one that beat me and made me like this! It was my mom" I said in hysteria, my heartbeat was racing and the monitor was going crazy. The nurse looked frightened as she put her hands gentle on my shoulders.

"Lay down now, you're not well to be up and about yet, and we know it was your mother that did this to you, the tests proved that. But…that's not what your father was arrested for…he was arrested for-for the murder of Angila Shan, your mother" Betty said as a fresh set of tears fell down her face. My mother was very popular and well known around the hospital, she had many friends and people that she talked too and poisoned with her words. I know I should not have been happy but I was happy that she was gone and also shocked; my father had killed my mother, his wife, for the sake of me. The shock that my mother was gone and now my father was too much, my body slumped back into the bed and I was drowning in darkness yet again, and this one I was sure that I would not awake from…or so I thought.

I awoke again that night and sat in the bed thinking, 'Why? Why did this all have to happen to me? Did fate like to play with my life and emotions? Did it like to be cruel to me?' as I was lying in my bed I pushed myself deeper into the pillow and that is when I heard the strange noise. The sound of crinkling paper, "what would paper be doing be hind my pillow?" I thought aloud. I put my hand under my pillow and pulled out a medium size flier, poorly lit light in my room as it was I could still read fine, and my father must have told them how I still feared the dark. I would have to thank them all for that, I read the flier and it said "Cirque Du Freak", as I unfolded it even more a note fell out. I opened it and read it:

"Cassy,

I'm so sorry, I never knew things where that bad, your dad said not to worry he will be fine and that you get to come live with me, once we (my mom and me) come get you tomorrow. I am so sorry Cassy, your mother has every right to die and I know you will agree with me, but your father did nothing wrong. But enough about that, I'm sure you wondering what the flier is all about, it is a present and I know that sounds weird but you will understand tonight, Love you with all my heart,

Steph"

I was in tears, 'how could she do this for me, I do not want her too! Why Steph, why?' I thought as I held the flier close. "Of all places she would want to take me, she had to choose a freak show," I said to meself with a light laugh. "I know she cares but she sure does have a funny way of showing it," I said aloud again. "No harm I guess…but she is more into this stuff than I am, I hope I'm up to it" I talked to myself and I rolled over on to my left side to sleep, I stared at the flier until I felt myself become drowse and drifted off to asleep.


	2. Chapter 2 encounter

Chapter 2: Encounter

It was Friday when I had been admitted to the hospital and the next day I was home free. I was fine, just bruised…but the hospital wanted to keep me longer to be sure. A doctor paid my hospital bill for me; it was the same doctor from yesterday. Moreover, the same one that came to my aid when my father walked in caring me. I thanked the doctor and while doing so, I found out that he was a childhood friend of my fathers, he asked me if I would be fine and I told him I would be. He gave his apologies to me for the death of my mother and I thanked him, but only to avoided all conversation and questions about her. I did not want to break into laughter at the sound of their sympathy for that bitch, she had hurt me and had my father imprisoned by her death, I was glad she was gone.

The only one that knew my true thoughts was Steph and I wanted it to stay that way, we made it to her house and we where heading for the stairs when her mother stopped us "Cassy, would you like anything to eat or drink? I know how the hospital food can be" Steph's mother said to me. Mrs. Leonard, the usual home stay working mom, she was pretty to me even though Steph wished her mother to be prettier. She had high cheekbones with a natural redness to them, her eyes where small and a beautiful blue, her nose was a little large for her long thin face. Her lips where small but full ones, her hair came down to the center of her back and it was a lovely dark brown, she was 5'10 and she was hourglass shaped, thin with a beautiful palled complexion.

I smiled at her "no thank you Mrs. Leonard, maybe later" I said grateful to her, she just watched me. I did not know what was wrong with her and then I looked closer at her eyes, they where expecting and filled with sadness and pity. She was waiting for me to cry, for me to break down to her and tell her how I felt, I walked up to her and hugged her, she seemed shocked and Steph did too. "Thank you, I wish my mother had been like you…I wish she cared, Steph is luck to have you" I let her go and quickly hurried up the steps with my things to Steph's room, I knew where everything was in Steph's house, I had stayed here more than 3 time in my life so far. Now it seemed that I would be living with them and getting to know the house even better, maybe even by heart, Steph and I always wished that we could be blood sisters, now we where just as good as sister if I was to be living with them.

I talked to my dad that night, he told me he was doing fine and that he had made friends already with his inmates I was slightly worried when he told me that, my dad was a strong, tough man, and I know he could take care of himself. Nevertheless, I could not help hear that he sounded broken, "I'll be fine daddy, don't worry about me. Steph and her mother have been nothing but good to me and don't worry about mom, it was an accident…I don't blame you for anything" I said in tears to him over the Phone. He cried of course, he was happy that I did not blame him and that I forgave him, he was happy with me that I was being strong about the situation. We talked about how the stay in the hospital had been and I told him how a doctor had paid my medical bills, he was relived to hear that and laughed lightly telling me that it must have been his old friend Toney from high school. His time ran out and he had to go, I told him I loved him and he told me the same and we hung up with liter hearts but still heavy.

The night was going to be a fun one, the tickets to the show where the last ones and I had decided that after talking to my dad that I needed a night out, after all I'm 17 now…I could take care of myself. Steph's mom knew we where going out so it would be awhile before we got back, I was glade that Mrs. Leonard trusted us enough to go out, although, I think she was doing it just to be nice. She looked like she wanted to be agents us going out, but with my situation and the temperatures that Steph would get into, I guess that made her feel guilty and decided to let us go. I somehow sensed that it was more fear than anything was though, she loved her daughter very much, but she also feared her, as I said before the temper tantrums she throws even frighten me. I would have to leave her alone for a bit before coming back, but Steph has been on good behavior, again I am guessing because of my situation and that she doesn't want to upset me.

In addition, as I said before, Steph is more into the darker stuff than I am; she has poster after poster of monsters and other mythological creatures on her walls. Vampires, werewolves, and more litter her walls in horror-designed posters, bloody words and all. She had figurines of Dracula on her shelves and stuffed animal werewolves on her bed, her room painted black and blood red her bed was the only thing white in her room and that was on purpose. Her bed being long it looked like a white coffin, she even went as far as having history books and others on mythical creatures and legendary vampires, and I never quiet was sure, why she always wanted to study them but her hobbies are her own.

We hurried through the neighborhood and into town; we looked for the place but we had gotten lost, "Ugh! I would forget and at a time like this" Steph said angry with herself. "Most of these posters don't have the address either, the adults must have torn them off as they went by," Steph said looking around at poster after poster.

"I wish some of the people handing out the posters where still around, we could get there with no problems" then as if to answer my wish, a tall man about 6'0 stepped out of the ally way that was in front of us. Steph backed away quickly, startled by his sudden appearance, she back up to me and I stood in front of her protectively. I had been through enough, no way was I going to let my friend get hurt after what I went through and if this person turned out to be a psycho…then one of us had to survive. The man was wearing a very bright flamboyant circus outfit, he wore a tall hat that had to be 12 inches, and his outfit was form fitting you could see the muscles in his arm, legs, and stomach. He wore a cape and opened toed shoes 'this guy must be from the circus, no one around here would wear that' I though to myself as he stood in front of us now.

"Forgive me, I couldn't help but over hear that you need assistance, I do work for the circus, would you like for me to show you the way?" he asked us. Steph was quick to except the man's offer, I had no choice but to follow, there was no way that I was going to let Steph be alone with this person. I watched him out of the corner of my eye while at the same time I made Steph hold my hand; I made her believe that I was frightened. The man hid his face well in the shadows of his clothing and the light, I could not tell what his face looked like really, what the color of his eyes where or even the color of his hair. Steph was the happiest I have ever seen her, even happier than the first time I went over her house or the time we went to the horror museum to see all the legendary killers and hear their stories and how they came to be.

"Are you still sacred?" Steph teased me a little when she saw my face, she new all my faces and she knew I was thinking.

"No not at all, I'm just wondering if going is really worth it" I said with a sight, I saw her face out of the corner of my eyes and she didn't look happy.

"Of course coming is worth it! Don't you want to see Madam Octa? And Mr. Crepsley ?" she asked annoyed, it was true that was one act I wanted to see very badly, I guess you could still call me a tomboy, I love spiders.

"Calm yourself before you make your blue eyes pop out of your head and your short spiky white hair stand on end even more" I said to her, I pointed out her characteristics on purpose to remind her that when she got angry, she got scary. She let go of my hand to flatten her hair a bit and blinked her eyes to be sure they where normal, she looked at me and waited for me to say something.

"Better" I said with a smile, she smiled back "you're right, I do want to see the act with Madam Octa, that spider…she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Her long strong legs, her vibrant colors, her fangs, her perfect white silky threads, her gorges black coal eyes! Thinking about her is just making me even more excited!" I said getting myself pumped.

"I will never understand your fascination with spiders, you are defiantly no normal girl" Steph said with a laugh, I gave her a look that she knew well. "I know, I know, what good is being normal? It's boring and out dated," Steph said mimicking me the best to her ability. At our conversation I saw our guide look at me with a wonder of fascination, what we where talking about he seemed to find a great deal of liking, I did not know if I should be creeped out or flattered. We made it to the building that the circus was held in, it was the old abandoned theater, it seemed wrong to disturb the dead, but now it just seemed to be a fitting place for all the creeps in this group. "Do you have money for souvenirs?" Steph asked and then she saw my face and her face fell "Your old man didn't leave you any money before they took him to the big house?" Steph then covered her mouth, as she just comprehended what she had said.

I just looked at her as if she had not said nothing wrong at all "any, why would he? They took everything he had and they even took the house, I live with you now, remember?" I said blankly. I then stepped forward and pushed the gates open and Steph followed close behind.

"Cassy…I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said…I just-" I didn't let her finish, I didn't want her apology that she would try to put into words, she would only dig herself a deeper whole.

"It's alright Steph you forgot, all people forget," I said with a smile, Steph smiled she knew I had forgiven her. I opened the door for her to go in first and then I remembered our guide "thank you sir for showing us the way", he stood there looking at me and then he bowed and walked down the street. Obviously handing out more fliers to people for the last show that they would be having, and that was tomorrow.

We walked in and the first thing to greet us was darkness, we only took a few steps and I had already ran into something that felt quiet solid, I looked up and covered my mouth so I would not scream. What I had run into turned out to be a whom, I had walked into a man taller than life, and he had to be at least 9'0 ft. He did not look normal either and by his dressing, I was guessing he was the ringmaster at the circus; he had on a tall hat that scraped the ceiling.

A large black over coat, black and white pin stripped pans, a white vest, and a scarf covered in cheetah print. The belt that he wore with his pants had a buckle the size of a dinner that you would find at a restaurant, his eyes where a piercing coal black, his face long, pointy and pallid, his mustache was a large one. It looked like one that an Italian pizza shop owner would have; twisted in at the ends and everything, but somehow to me it looked like a large black bird just sitting on his upper lip. "Well, well. Can I help you girls?" he asked politely, his voice was deep and it held friendliness but great authority, he was most definitely the ringmaster. For even when he spoke with a normal inside voice, he was very loud; his voice was captivating, almost hypnotic, his voice definitely held my attention just as I am sure it did with everyone he spoke too.

I shook my head to clear it and then said, "We are here to see your show" I said making my voice leveled, for some reason…I was scared now and I did not know why.

"Are you? Do you have tickets?" he asked with a gentle smile, I watched Steph pull hers out and show him, and I followed her example and showed him mine. "Very good. Follow me please, Cassandra, Stephanie" said the man as he turned and began walking down a long hallway, I looked at him quizzically and I rushed after him and Steph.

"Excuse me, but how do you know our names?" I asked a hint of fear in my voice, was this person a stalker? He sure did seem like the type to be one. The response I got was one a fortuneteller would give, I never believed in their predictions, I know they use the usual crap and psychology on people to make people tell them things in order to get information that they can use agents others who are easily manipulated or weak minded.

"I know lots of thing…" he said with a hidden meaning laugh, this guy was really creeping me out. "we must hurry. The show is about to begin" he said taking long strides to get ahead of us, Steph and I had to run to keep up.

He rounded the corner and was gone "Hey…Huh? But that is so not right, he was just here?" I said aloud questioning things even more now that they where getting weirder.

"Who cares, come on the show is starting!" Steph said excitedly as she took me by the hand and pulled me along, we made it to a curtained door and the tall man sat at a table pour himself a cup of tea.

'How in the hell did he get tea that fast? He could have had it here already?' I question things a lot when they are not right, a defense mechanism of mine that my father calls over production of the mind to block out fantasy to keep in reality. We turned to the table and held out our tickets for him, he took them with a smile and then opened his mouth and swallowed the tickets; he used the last of his tea to wash them down. I stared at him as if he was crazy he then stood and pulled back the curtain for us and said as we walked through.

"We usually don't except anyone under the ages of 18, but I can see that you are a good pair of strong hearted girls so we will make an exception, I hope you enjoy the show" and with that he closed the curtain behind us and was gone.

We searched the aisles for open seats and found some in the eighth center row "Wow, open seats!" Steph said rushing to them and sitting down, I laughed.

"Chill out, Steph" I looked down to the stage and I could see the whole thing, "wow, what a great view!" I said happily sitting next to Steph, I was happy to be there but also a little scared. A woman sat next to us in the end seat and looked deathly afraid, I tried not to pay attention to her and focus more on Steph's question.

"So, Cassy, I was thinking…" she began as she looked at me out of the corner of her eye, I smiled before answering her unfinished question.

"I bet you anything they don't sell popcorn," I said with a grin looking at the stage now, the sound of a spotlight clicking on caught my attention.

"Wow that was just like what that guy did! Do you think he was a real mind reader?" she asked me excitedly, I did not want to spoil her fun by saying no, so I shrugged.

"Maybe Steph, just maybe" I said as we watched the tall man from the front walk out on the stage, "The same guy from the front? So my suspicions where correct, he is the owner" I said leaning back in my seat.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Cirque Du Freak, home of the world's most remarkable human beings!" the mans voice rung out over the audience as he spoke, some looked terrified just listening to him. "I am your host for this evening and the owner of this circus, Mr. Tall, at your serves," he said introducing himself with a small bow. I rolled my eyes at his name, his name is mister Tall and he is frigen tall, how perfectly original. He continued to talk while putting his top hat back on "The Cirque Du Freak has been in business for over 500 years. Our lineup has changed many time…but never our aim, I assure you. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ASTOUNDING AND TERRIFYING YOU! Those who are easily scared should leave now. I AM SURE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAME TONIGHT THINKING OUR FREAKS WOULD BE PEOPLE IN MASKS OR HARMLESS MISFITS…THIS IS NOT SO! EVERY ACT YOU SEE TONIGHT IS REAL!" he shouted all this and then became very quiet before clearing his throat. I found myself somehow believing in his words as I stared at him and waited for him to speak again, "But enough shouting from me. The world's most incredible show will soon begin. You will forgive me for introducing our first act in hushed tones. Presenting to you…the wolf man" Mr. Tall said quietly and stepped back to tell two young women push a cage out on stage, and in it held a terrifying looking beast, there was no joke, this thing was real.

I could smell the stench of its breath and the heat from his foam dripping mouth, and remind you all, we where in the eighth row. I looked over at Steph; ignoring a loud screech that came from the woman next to me and said "Steph switch seats with me," I was not going to let her be near the outside, I had a bad feeling about this act.

She looked at me, I assumed to protest that she was not going to moving, but when she saw my face, she immediately nodded and switched with me. "Do you have your bad feeling again, Cassy?" she asked me looking worried, I nodded to her staring intently into her eyes, I then turned my attention back to the stage. The bad feeling I had, I have had since I can remember, I cannot pin point why I have been able to have them…but they have kept me out of major trouble so far and I always trust them, no matter what the circumstances.

"You must be very quiet. The wolf man will not be able to hurt you as long as we control him," said one of the assistances, she lifted from her hand a circle with a pentagram in the center of it and twirled it in front of him. I watched as his eyes became heavy and they closed, that still did not mean it was safe, I was staying right where I was. I watched them open the cage door and the wolf man step out with no struggle at all "A loud sound could wake him up, and then he would be deadly. So be quiet please," the fist assistant, said walking down the aisle with him and the second one on his other side, "You may pet him, if you want. Just be very gentle…," said the second assistant. As they came by I could see that Steph wanted to pet him badly, I moved so she could…but once she was done I sat right back in the seat and kept my body in front of hers.

"How did it feel?" I asked in a whisper as I looked at her, she grinned.

"It was spiky…like a hedgehog. It smells strange too, like burning rubber" she said fascinated to me, I could only smile at her strange interest in this kind of stuff, I then turned my head up the aisle to see people tripping over one another to pet the wolf man too. They where all being loud and this was beginning to piss me off, out of their stupid curiosity they where putting hundreds of people lives in danger.

I heard the second assistant say loudly for everyone to be quiet, and then it happened a woman had screamed when she was pushed to the floor. The only thing I saw was a twitch of the wolf man's ear and then he turned and attacked the woman, he charged at her, biting deep into her arm and ripping it off. Blood was everywhere and the woman screamed none stop, then the wolf man turned to Steph and I. "I knew this was coming, Steph!" I yelled covering her as he was about to pounce. I do not know why I did it but I found myself seeing red and I kicked the wolf man in the nose, sending him hurtling back into empty seats and he was out cold. I felt a set of hands on me and I knew it was Steph checking me to see that I wasn't hurt, I knew I wasn't but…my body collapsed anyways.

I found myself on my hands and knees, shacking and I was not stopping anytime soon, I could not hear anything either, had I gone deaf from the screaming or was it just quiet. I then found myself blinded by light and a very large hand on my shoulder and the voice of Mr. Tall asking me if I was all right, "I'm fine…I can't move though, Steph? Is she alright?" I asked him keeping my eyes on the floor.

"I'm right here; Cassy…you saved my life!" I heard her sob as she hugged me, I tried to shrug her off but it was no good.

"Steph if you hang on me, any strength that I have will…vanish" I felt her jump off me, "Damn adrenalin rushes, they always whip me…clean" then my world went black. All my senses had not been clouded, I could still feel and ear, I heard gasps and screams, probably because of me and I felt strong arms caring me, they cradled my body gentle almost protectively. I wanted to open my eyes and see who it was…but I was too exhausted to do so, I just turned my body into the person's chest and relaxed the best I could, I felt my hand grip a shirt and not let go. Those where the last things I felt and heard before all my senses went under and I fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 half truths

Chapter 3 the partial truth

I was on something rather soft and it made me think of my bed at home…but that was not right, I was not at home. I was out, with Steph…'Steph!' I tried to sit up but I could not, 'am I being held? Or am I strapped down?' My eyes opened and I found myself being held down by hands that I did not know, I looked around me and saw the assistance that had been handling the wolf man. They where keeping me from moving, I was stiff with the weight they where pressing on me. "Steph! Stephanie, where are you?" I shouted as I looked around, the worried faces of the assistances exchanged looks as they tried to keep me down, they talked to me and told me in clam voices not to move…but I wanted to get up.

"Please Cassandra, don't move, your body has been through so much" said the assistant with silver hair, she was young but she had hair that shined like starlight.

"How do you know me?" I asked scared "and how does that Tall freak know Stephanie and Me?" I demanded, I watched them exchange glances before looking back at me.

"Our boss will tell you everything you need to know," said the second assistant with orange flame color hair "he will be in shortly, so till then, stay down!" she told me. As I looked closer at her face I had a feeling that I knew her, the silver haired girl too.

I wanted to say something to them but what was I going to say? My voice failed me, I did not know how to talk to them, I turned my head to put my face into a soft pillow. My eyes became heavy again but I fought the tiredness I was not going to give in, not yet, not until I saw Stephanie and knew she was safe. "Where am I?" I asked aloud, I did not care who answered as long as I got an answer.

"You are in a tent out back behind the theater, when you fainted our boss had Mr. Crepsley bring you here, to hide you until things are calm enough to let you go" answered the silver haired girl.

"You can tell me go, I don't have the strength to move anymore" I said watching as they gave each other worried glances, the orange haired girl was the first to let me go but she left the tent, and did it rather quickly too. The silver haired girl let me go and she looked at me with a sad face as if she would cry, "Do I know you?" I asked her and it seemed to take her by surprise.

She smiled and said something that did not make sense to me "he was right…it is resurfacing, oh never mind, I'll be back" and with that she rushed out the tent and I was alone.

My face was sinking deeper into the pillow as I snuggled down and closed my eyes, it didn't last long I felt cool hands on my face and I gasped and flinched away. I opened my eyes and saw Steph above me "Steph? Is that you?" I asked, she looked different, her short spiked white hair was longer to her shoulders and her blue eyes seemed lighter.

She smiled and hugged me "I'm so happy that you're okay, I was so worried with what happened, first your mother and now this" she was really trying hard not to cry. "Sorry about the change…I'll explain later, I promise…for now, get some sleep. You will need more than the few hours you got," she said to me with a loving tone, 'a few hours. I had been out for a few hours? What does that matter, as long as Stephanie is safe.' I felt myself go under, the last thing I heard was "goodnight Cassy", and her presents no longer lingered beside me.

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I awoke that morning with the feeling of being refreshed, I had not felt that way in a long time, I looked around and found the tent disserted. I began to feel scared and anxious, where was Steph? Where was anyone? As if to answer my questions, Mr. Tall entered the tent. I looked up at him with a blank face and he stared at me, the first thing that came out of my mouth was "Where is she?" my voice sounded blank as well, almost lifeless.

From behind Mr. Tall, Stephanie stepped out with a smile and said "About time you got up, wouldn't you say?" she said winking at me. I felt a renewal of life enter me when I saw her, I got up and stumbled out of whatever I was laying in and rushed to her side. Alternatively, I tried, I felt myself sway on my feet, she gasped and reaching for me "Cassy!", but it was not her hands that caught me, it was Mr. Talls.

"What's wrong with me?" I asked as I leaned on his arm, he stood me straight and looked me in the eyes before speaking.

"Nothing is wrong with you Cassandra, you just haven't eaten anything yet and are weak," he said reassuringly to me, I could tell he was telling the truth…for most of it. I looked at Steph and I reached for her hair, I ran my fingers through it, then looked at her.

She smiled and said "I guess I can tell you now, but…I want you to eat something first, come with me" she said taking my hand, which is when I noticed it.

I looked at our hands together, the size; we used to have the same size hands…now I seemed to have half a size bigger. "Steph, did you shrink?" I asked, I could not help but feel that I was being lied to when they said nothing was wrong with me.

"Of course not, you just grew silly!" she said laughing a little and then took my hand and pulled me out into the light of day.

I shielded my eyes from the bright sun and though 'I grew? What does she mean by that?' I thought as my vision cleared and I could finally see. The abandoned theaters backyard was large and everything was green and lively, flowers grew on the black pitchfork fences surrounding the yard, it was beautiful. I let Stephanie lead me to where ever she wanted to take me, she took me inside the abandoned theater and down into its basement, Mr. Tall followed behind us all the way. The basement was bigger than I imagined, every performer and staff member of the Cirque was there doing jobs, or just something to keep them busy, I spotted the two girls who had been with me last night and they waved at me. I could not help but smile as they did so and gave a small wave back; they smiled to one another and watched me walk away with Mr. Tall and Stephanie.

Stephanie had me sit at a table that had been set up with food, "go on, and eat whatever you wish" she said to me, I spotted the bacon and I ate that all first. I then devoured the sausage, then the ham and soon moved on to toast. "Wow Cassy, you ate a lot of meat!" Steph said surprised, I shrugged before answering her.

"I usually don't eat meat all the time, but… I want it now," I said, it sounded strange to me too; I usually do not care for meat. "Well I'm done, so what was it that you where supposed to tell me?" I asked the both of them; Steph's face then became a little sad.

"Cassy…, I don't know how to tell you this but…you are not who you think you are, and your family isn't your family" she said to me sounding regrettable. I just looked at her with a blank face, "I'm not who I say I am either" she said, still I said nothing. "Your sure name is Cassandra but your last name is not Shan, it is Crepsley. You where adopted by the Shan's when you where just nine years old, I know that sounds crazy and you have the memories to prove it, but…they're false ones to make you think that they have had you all their lives" she said sounding hesitant. I remained unresponsive, and just staring at her with a blank face. She watched me to see what I would do or say.

"Maybe if I showed you, instead of trying to explain" she raised her hand to my forehead and memories began to spring up, ones of my family taking me in and ones that I had never seen before. Ones with the orange and silver haired girl, we where kids playing together, then their where memories of me and Steph running around the Cirque having fun and Mr. Tall watching us from a far and standing next to him was a 6'0ft man. The outfit looked oddly familiar and then I recognized him as the man who had help us find our way to the Cirque, I felt myself gasps at the sight of more memories I did not know I had, began to resurface. The growing, the memories had they all been suppressed? Where the memories Hidden in my mind for some reason? My last name was not Shan, but Crepsley…then who was I before Cassandra Shan? How did I get this way, did my real parents not want me, and if my last name is Crepsley then…am I related to Mr. Crepsley? All these questions and more buzzed through my head. I had a feeling though that they where not telling me everything, when it was over I closed my eyes and sat back in my chair 'it's all true, Steph could never make anything like this up' I thought.

I stood and I felt hands on my shoulders and someone calling my name "Cassy…Cassy!" I blinked and jumped a little as my eyes lost their glaze and I was looking into the face of my best friend. She looked relieved that I was alright but still very concerned when she still saw the blank look on my face "so, I'm not a Shan…big deal, but all the memories…who or what am I then? And who am I to this Mr. Crepsley?" I said.

"Well if you must know, Mr. Crepsley is-" Steph was right about to tell me when Mr. Tall laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Perhaps we should let Larten tell her Stephanie, he could better explain it," he said to her with a fatherly like tone.

She sighted and said "yes father" I did a double take and looked at them to see a resemblance, there was none.

"Father? Steph, who are you if you are not who you clam to be?" I asked and I saw a light bulb click on in her head.

She grinned, "I'm Stephanie Tall, Mr. Tall is my father" she said laying a hand on his long arm "I know, no looks from his side of the family came to me…I got my mothers genes" she said blushing a little.

"So you grew out your hair in a day? How did that happen? "I asked looking at her; I was desperately trying to put things together.

"It's kinda what happened to you, except I'm younger and you're a little older, that's what I meant when I said you grew. You're two heads taller than me and your hair has grown all the way down to your Butt," Steph said pulling a peace in front of my face to see.

"I want to see" I said, Steph left for only a sec and was back with a full length mirror she had me stand in front of it with my eyes closed and then had me open them when she told me too. I had grown, my face still looked like I was 17 but I also seemed a little older, that made me notice how short Steph had gotten, when she was taller then me at one point. "What happened to me?" I asked sitting back down in the chair, I could feel it all sinking in now and I was frightened.

"You where placed under a spell that would make your body think that it is human, so that way you could age normally, a form of camouflage for our kind. We suppressed your old memories and gave you knew ones, we wanted you to think that you where human" said a man about 6'0ft, he has orange hair and red eyes.

"Ah! Larten, come Stephanie lets let these two talk things out" Mr. Tall said taking Steph by the hand and walking with her, she looked back at me and I watched her leave with a fearful face.

"You'll be okay Cassy, I promise!" she called over her shoulder to me "I'll see you in a little bit" and with that they walked up the steps to the lobby of the theater.

I then looked up at the man named Larten Crepsley and he was watching me "why are you looking at me like that?" I said with a slight growl in my voice.

He just laughed at me and took a seat next to mine "I haven't seen you in 8 human years and this is how you greet me?" he asked with a warm smile, I do not know what is wrong with this guy but it is freaking me out.

"I don't mean to be rude but I have no clue who you are" I said to him, his face began to change as he took in my words. He leaned forward and looked me in the eyes; I just sat there looking at him with a scowl on my face.

He stood and looked down at me "You have no idea who I am at all?" he asked, I shook my head no, he slumped back down into his chair and put his head in his hands. "He warned me that this would happen, that if I sealed away your past you could possible forget…everything" he said, I do not know why I felt sorry form him but I did.

"How did it happen?" I asked staring down at my lap, I could feel his eyes on me now "Or I should say why did you do it?"

"Are you remembering?" he did not get his hopes up, I shook my head no, I heard him sigh and the table shook. I looked up to see that he had propped his elbows up on the table and pressed his folded hands to his forehead.

"You do seem familiar to me, but…I just don't know, who am I to you if I'm not Cassandra Shan?" I asked, he lowered his hands so that way they where resting on his chin. He watched me with sad eyes, I could tell that his sadness was indeed great, a small smirk came to his lips.

"I'll tell you when you remember a little more, till then…I'll tell you how you came to be among the Shan's or used to be? Cassandra, what did happen to them?" he asked curiously. I didn't know if I should tell him or not, but I felt that I could trust him, so I started with the day that Steph and I had walked home from school together. When I finished the man looked graver than he had when I didn't recognize him, he would clench his fist when ever I mentioned my mother beating me and he would grind his teeth whenever I mention she call me a freak or other names. It was silent for a few minutes, I did not mind, it was nice really just sitting and looking at him.

"I see" he finally said after a short wait, "It seems they had made a poor decision after all, it was meant to be a good life for you, yet…you suffered more with them then you would have with your family" he said aloud. I did not want to interrupt I wanted to hear what he had to say, he knew who I was in the past and the fake life I had. He knew and I wanted to know, he looked up at me and said "Cassandra, I am sorry that you suffered such hard times with the humans" he said, his voice was sincere and so was his face. "I guess your parents though they had made the right decision by choosing them…they had to get you out of danger, but yet they put you in it and they could have lost you" he said slipping out of his chair and falling to his knees in front of me. He took my hands and cradled them to his face; tears sprang into my eyes, why was I crying? Why did I care what this man, this Cirque freak though about me? Moreover, why did I care that he was hurting and that is was my fault?

"Danger?" I asked not understanding, my voice betrayed me and it cracked his head came up fast and his eyes met mine, he seemed even more hurt when he saw me crying. He got to his feet and I felt his hand brush away my tears, I leaned into his touch…it felt so familiar, loving and warm. The things that where coming from him was what I craved from my parents, but they where not my parents they where just people that raised me for…8 human years? "I know I maybe crazy but…why do you keep saying human? Moreover, eight human years? What does that mean, how many years has it really been?" I asked curiously. My face was in his hands, he held me with such tenderness, as he looked me in my eyes, he wanted to tell me I could tell he really did but…something was stopping him.

"It's just a term I use, but the real years…it has been 85 years Cassy" when he said my nickname a vision, no a memory flashed in my mind of him and a woman, a beautiful woman. My hand came up and gripped his arm and I gasped, he seemed slightly alarmed.

"How do I know you?" I said in tears "these memories of when I was a child with my human parents are being replaced with one of you and a woman; I'm only getting flashes of my childhood from before…85 years? But the only way that could work is if I was a…" my eyes widened. He just watched me and slowly withdrew himself from me, my hands fell to lie in my lap and he slinked back to the shadows of the basement.

"The danger is not what but a whom, His name is Desmond Tiny. He was the danger that they had to hide you from and it worked for these past 85 years, but it seems that your former self is emerging from its slumber. No normal person who acted like you did by kicking the wolf-man in the face and having the raw power like you have to send him flying into the upper balcony" Mr. Crepsley said from the shadows as I saw him leaning up against the wall, he wasn't looking at me anymore.

"Upper balcony? I thought I had kicked him into the seats next to us, I saw he was close" I said shocked, Mr. Crepsley looked at me but his face was composed.

"Your vision must have kicked in, did you see red at all Cassandra? Before you kicked the wolf man I mean?" he asked me.

"Y-Yes…it usually happens when I get angry and that isn't often" I said, he seemed a little interested in that.

"You seem to be moving along quicker than I thought, your memories are even returning quicker than normal, I just hope that you remember everything soon," Mr. Crepsley said standing off the wall, but he did not return to my side.

"How old am I if I'm not 17?" I asked him, I heard him chuckle and I turned my head to look at him.

"You are a young one and do not understand, all you need to know for now is that you are 17, you are no older or younger than that" he said sounding amused. Then a question that had been lingering in the back of my head popped out of my mouth, I could not stop it.

"My human father, the spell used on me, will he remember me and everything that happened?" I asked I had never been more concerned for him until now. Mr. Crepsley face of amusement disappeared, but he answered me regardless his reluctance attitude.

"No, he will not remember you, all he will remember is murdering his wife for whatever other reason that may pop into his head, but you will be gone from all of the people's minds that ever knew you. The same for Stephanie, the woman that raised her and thought that Stephanie was her daughter will no longer remember her. However, the memories that you created with them will forever live with the both of you" he said. How could he say it like that, it was so cold…I stood and turned and headed for the steps, "where are you going?" he asked.

"Do you really care? I'm going home, I have to get a few things from there…after all, if I'm going to be forgotten about…then I better do the job right and remove all evidence," I said sounding lifeless. One of my worse fears had just happened, all the people that I love have and will forget about me, I could feel myself draining of energy but I pushed myself as I walked up the steps and out the doors the back of the theater.

I slowly walked to the tents entrance and pushed it aside, I found Steph sitting on what seemed to be a coffin, it was the only bed like thing in the tent 'so that is what I slept in, then I was right on my guess…I am one'. "Cassy did you talk to Larten, did he tell you everything?" Steph asked coming to my side, I looked up at her with tears in my eyes. She looked like she had seen a ghost when her eyes met mine "Cassy?"

"I'm…a…vampire" I said in a strangled voice, I hit my knees and fell forward, collapsing on the ground from mental and emotional exhaustion. I heard Stephanie's screams and the sound of hurrying feet, which was the last thing I remember before closing my eyes and being taken into my nightmare of memories. I could feel my mind trying to put itself together again as they where being erased and replaced with other things. This kind of mental work would have killed a normal person or erased their memories for good, if it became too much for their mind…but not mine; I had become used to always over thinking everything and I was very fast with it.


	4. Chapter 4 memories replaced old friends

Chapter 4: Memories replaced, old friends

My sleep had been a long one, I had slept for 2 days, when I awoke I found myself in the coffin again but it seemed to be moving. I opened the lid and when I did it smashed into something, I jumped up and looked around as if ready to attack. I heard a chuckle in the corner and turned around to see Mr. Crepsley, he was sitting with legs folded beneath him and next to him, I took to be madam Octa, who was in her cage.

I glared at him and then looked around, I was in a moving wagon, then it hit me "Oh, Damn! I never got my things from my house!" I said rushing to the end of the wagon and stopping at the gate. I looked out over the fields and trees that we where passing, we had already long gone left my town and where moving on to the next place. "I can't believe I'm really leaving….just a few days a go I was a normal teenage girl in her high school, junior year…and now I'm a vampire…in a freak show" I couldn't stop the tears that fell as I watched my old life disappear on the horizon.

"You don't have to stay here you know?" I heard his voice right next to me, I did not jump there really was no need too, I heard him get up.

"What are you an idiot? Of course I do, Stephanie is here with Hibernius, wherever Stephanie goes…I go," I said wiping away my tears.

"What did you just say?" he asked surprised, I smirked before looking at him.

"Yes, I remember Mr. Tall's first name, the past 2 days of sleeping has put most of my old memories together and erased my "human" memories…well most of them. I cannot forget the kids that I made friends with and the adults that did care about me. I'm going to miss school too, that was one place I could go and escape the drama of home" I said remembering, I couldn't stop myself from shouting it "I WON'T FORGET ANY OF YOU, I LOVE YOU ALL!" my voice echoed across the fields and the tree tops and drifted off into the light breeze.

I felt Mr. Crepsley's hand rest on my shoulder and heard him say "You have done well, in three days your memory has improved a great deal" he said sounding proud of me.

"True…but it is not complete, I still don't know who you are," I said looking at him; I saw the happiness in his eyes dwindle a little at my words. I felt a strong twang of guilt grip at my heart "I'm sorry…" I said in a quiet voice and I hung my head to hide my face in my long black curly hair. "I'm trying, I really am…it's killing me not knowing who you are and yet I feel like I have it right here in my mind I just can't find it" I said with a growl of frustration. I looked at him and he really looked like he believed me "Mr. Crepsley…I have been wanting to ask you something, do you…maybe…know how I was turned into a vampire, seeing how you said you where the one who put me with the Shan's?" I asked.

He smiled and he said not holding anything back "You where not turned, you where born a vampire" he said sounding very prideful of me.

Then another question popped up in my head "then…do you…maybe, know my parents?" I asked, he smiled at me and took my hand leading me back to where he was sitting. When he sat he had me sit next to him and he handed me a bag that I know for a fact was supposed to be under my bed back home, I looked at him with a happy face. "You went and got my things, thank you!" I said setting my bag a side and hugging him, I felt him stiffen, and he was not expecting to be hugged. "You don't know how much this means to me…not many would do this if I asked," I said letting him go and straightening his cape, when I looked at his face he was three shades of red.

He cleared his throat with a cough and then said "you're welcome", I smiled and blushed myself I did not mean to make him feel uncomfortable. I then went through my bag and found a few changes of clothes, my diary; he even grabbed a few of my favorite books and my MP3. That was nice of him but how did he knew what to grab, I turned to look at him and he was feeding the spider.

"Did Steph tell you what to grab or…have you been watching me?" I asked waiting patiently.

"Stephanie said that you usually carry with you that shiny silver thing (MP3), a few books, a change of clothes and the book you call a diary" he said looking up at me with a small smirk. I just laughed and stood, I walked to the end of the wagon and opened my diary and began tearing out pages after pages. I felt his presents behind me as I did so; soon the Diary only had half of its pages left. I dropped the book at my feet and shredded the paper into confetti; I then raised it to the breeze and blew it from my hands. "What did you do that for?" he asked confused as to my actions.

"I'm not going to enter a new life with hatred weighing on my heart, this is away of getting ride of it for good…let the wind have the honor of taking my pain and hatred of words far away from here. Just as I hope that the Cirque and my old friends can do for me, make me forget my pain and smother my old memories. till there is nothing left of my past to ever haunt me again" I said turning to look at him with a face of new hope, I knew he could see it in my eyes as I smiled a heart felt smile for the first time in years.

He smiled at me, his eyes a warm red like a sunset as he beheld me with his approving gaze, "to see you smile is a wonderful thing…Stephanie was right about you" he said to me and then came to stand by my side to watch the paper dance in the breeze.

"You know…you never did tell me, family friend or family?" I asked him again, this time it was I who walked to the back, picked up the spider cage, and placed it on my lap.

He chuckled as he followed me and said, "You don't give up do you?" he asked, I just gave him a pointed look that said 'what do you think'. Again, he laughed but this time he answered me "I know your parents well and I must say you look a lot like your mother" he said this with great admiration.

I looked up at him after brushing one of Madam Octa's legs and said surprised "really? I always though if I looked like one of my parents it would be my father, what is he like?" I asked with a grin.

"Well…he is a great guy, brave, has a lot of courage he does, and he is one hell of a warrior in battle. He even at one point was a general for the vampire princes" Mr. Crepsley said, I could tell he was watching me closely after saying that.

"So family friend and you admire my mother for her beauty and my father for his strength, skills and rank. You sound like one loyal friend, my father was a general for the Vampire princes?" I could feel myself getting exited, "they sound like the coolest parents ever…do-you think they still love me?" I asked. I had blushed but it vanished after my praise and he looked at me with surprise at my question.

"You are their daughter, of course they are going to love you, and I dare say they never stopped loving you. Even after they gave you up to protect you, they never stopped" Mr. Crepsley seemed to be getting sadder as he spoke of my parents.

"Are they still alive?" I asked with a blank voice, he watched me for signs of tears no doubt.

"Yes, they are both alive and well, why the change of emotion?" he asked, I shrugged.

"You sounded sad talking about them, I guess I'm preparing for bad news," I said, the life came back to my voice and eyes "So what happened to my father, you said he "was" a general?" I asked.

He became a little more down and said "yes…after your disappearance from their lives, your mother did nothing but train and hone her skills to be a general, it's how she smothers her pain…by working. Your father stepped down as general and took to traveling and finding new places, and new spiders," he said gesturing to Madam Octa. "He sent her to me and has been part of my act ever since, I love spiders," Mr. Crepsley said watching Madam Octa, she looked up at me and smiled.

I laughed, "I love spiders too, yes, I know. I haven't forgotten you, you beautiful eight legged Madam," I said opening her cage and lowering my hand in and picking her up, I saw Mr. Crepsley go a little rigged.

"You need to be careful, she is poisons!" he warned quietly to me, I giggled as she took her little legs, that help feed her, and nibbled at my fingers.

"Octa, that tickles…" I placed her on my shoulder and rested my face on her side, "I've never seen one so gentle or so calm, especially with out music," I said looking at her lovingly.

My attention was caught by the look on Mr. Crepsley face, he seemed as if he was trying not to cry, "Sir, are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"Just fine, I have…something in my eye" he said with a faltering voice, I just rolled my eyes and began humming to Madam Octa. The spider relaxed on my shoulder to the point that she began to get sleepy, I picked her up and put her in her cage and covered it with her night blanket.

"Good night Madam" I whispered, I watched one of her legs poke out and wave to me, I smiled and then turned my attention to Mr. Crepsley. "Well it looks like she likes me…when do we reach our next stop?" I asked standing and stretching.

"We should be their in another day, it's good to see that your memory really has improved…he use to play music for the spiders around the home you lived in" he said to me.

I smirked "Sounds like I will get along with my father well, I can't wait to see him…speaking of see, how am I going to find my parents?" I asked.

He seemed to be thinking it over "well there is a Vampire council that meets every 12 years…we can go together to find them there" he said suggesting it.

"12 years? That means one is coming up soon…but I don't want to wait that long, I hate my life" I said sliding down the wall on to the floor and rolling over to face Mr. Crepsley.

He just chuckled "patients little one…you will learn the ways of the Vampire soon enough to know that patients is everything" he said lecturing me; I just rolled my eyes at that 'that is what a teacher would say'. I lay on the floor for a bit watching the dust swirl in the air and around us, then I remembered my Diary, I got up and walked over to it, I picked it up, then walked over to my stuff, and placed it in the coffin.

"So our last names? Are they just a coincidence or are we related in some way?" I asked I turned to see his eyes wide, he had been watching me.

"What are you talking about? You're last name is-" I cut him off.

"Steph said that my last name is Crepsley…I was only wondering if there was a relation, like maybe my Uncle or something?" I asked curiously.

"No, I'm sorry…there is no relation" he said sounding regrettable; he hid his face in the shadows after that.

"Oh…okay then" I said sounding sad, I crawled back into the coffin and before closing the lid I said " see you later then", I closed the coffin lid and dug through my bag for my MP3. I stuck my headphones in, jacked up the music, while I silently cried to myself, and wondered why he was lying to me.

"Why do you defend her? Look at her, her eyes are red! She is an evil child!" my mother screamed at my dad while she looked passed him at me, I cowered in a corner, crying while listening to her scream.

"Maybe if you stopped being such a bitch! You would know that our daughter was born with the different eye color from ours!" my father shouted at my mother. I could see the anger in my mothers eyes as she glared at me, then out of nowhere a gun appeared in her hands.

I felt myself stand and scream "Daddy, look out!" he just turned and smiled at me before saying his last words.

"It's alright Cassy, she won't hurt you anymore" the gun shot off and the bullet hit him square in the chest and into his heart, the bullet went threw him and back tracked and took my mother out.

I felt myself scream out to them and then I jerked up out of my sleep screaming "DADDY!" I had not looked around to see where I was I just looked straight ahead. I felt hands rest on my shoulders; I jerked away and jumped out of the coffin. In my sleep, I must have thrown open the lid when I jumped up in my terror, I then looked to see who had touched me. I saw slicked back red hair and red eyes, as mine had been in my nightmare, but instead of my terror-filled ones, I saw a worried pair. It then hit me who it was…I felt myself relax, but I relaxed a little too much and I swayed where I stood, I felt my eyes roll in my head and I was heading for the ground, fast.

Hands caught me and I felt myself being crushed against a very muscular chest "Cassandra, are you alright?" Mr. Crepsley asked I just laid my face on his cool shirt; the cold sweat on my forehead began to disappear slowly.

"The dream felt so real…so intense, I hate that woman" I said in a groggy voice "Sit me up please," I said.

He slowly sat me up so I was sitting on my own "what where you dreaming about that would make you so nervous?" he asked, he felt me stiffen.

"It's none of your concern" I said letting my hair hang in my face so that I couldnt look him in the face, I was so embarrassed that I had nearly fainted in front of him again, and that I had let a simple nightmare scar me into a hysteria. I then felt something sharp stab me in my lip, I gasped and my hand flew to my mouth, I felt my teeth…I had fangs.

I stood and hurried to the coffin and grabbed my bag, I dug threw it and pulled out a mirror and looked at my face. I still had a reflection, I then spotted my canine teeth…they where a lot sharper than they had been once before. I sighted and ran a hand through my messy black hair, I tossed the mirror back into the coffin and stood again, I turned to face the red eyes that had been watching me for the past few minutes. "You're hungry, that is what the problem is…you haven't eaten since yesterday and the food you did eat was not what you need," he said to me, I knew where this was going.

"I know what you want me to eat and the answer is no, you better have a better alternative" I said with a sniff, I hated acting stuck up but I was not going to be feeding off humans. He didn't seem to happy about my objection he opened his mouth to say something but I cut in "look…it's awkward for me okay, just a few days ago I was a normal girl living a dull and cruel life. Now, I'm a Vampire at a cirque, my best friend isn't really who I though she was and I have a Vampire man who has my same last name looking out for me like I'm his responsibility!" I said my voice rising as I let my trapped feelings out for the first time. I was breathing heavily and I am sure my face was red from the little anger that had just escaped me, he looked at me with pity in his eyes and it pissed my off. "I wish you would stop lying to me, stop watching me like I'm some kind of object about to vanish and stop looking at me with that pity!" I growled the last part.

He just smiled and then chuckled "you are hard to fool but…I will keep my game up, that is until you remember on your own. I do not plane to give too much away" he said and then turned and headed for the tents exit. Wait, tent? I look around to see that I am in a tent and it has all of Mr. Crepsley's things in it, 'Well if this is his get up…then they must have unloaded everything already?' I thought to myself.

"Hey, have we finally come to the next location for the Cirque!" I call to him as he stepped out, he poked his head back in.

"But of course, hurry now, people are out here waiting to see you" he said with a grin, I gestured to myself and he seemed to get the clue "Of course you are going to want a shower…I'll bring someone to help you" he said and was gone.

He came back quickly and when he walked in he had a woman with long black hair that came down the center of her back, beautiful tan skin and she has brown eyes. My heart leapt when I saw her, she looked at me and a hand flew to her mouth and she looked like she would cry "Truska? Oh my god, Truska!" I shouted happily and I watched her hold her arms out to me. I rushed into them nearly toppling her over, she laughed and hugged me tightly she said something to me in her language and I looked at her confused.

She looked at me as if why I did not understand, and then I watched as she face palmed her forehead as if remembering something very important. She looked to Mr. Crepsley and I watched him nodded and he disappeared again, Truska lead me to a large tub that was in the tent, she pointed to it while speaking. I understood this, I think, "You want me to take a bath in this?" I asked, she smiled and clapped her hands while nodding her head. "Okay…, but how do we get the water-" just then Mr. Crepsley came in carrying water buckets, two in each arm and then a voice that sounded familiar to me caught my attention.

I turned just in time to see a boy 17 years of age like me, covered in snake scales drop the buckets he was carrying when his blue eyes caught sight of me. "Cassy?" He asked staring wide eyed at me, I just looked at him and tried very hard to remember who this boy was, he obviously knew me…he knew my nickname. He walked up to me and took my hands in his "come on Cassy, you have to remember me! We where best friends, me, you and Stephanie" he said smiling at me. I studied his face and I brought my hand up and traced the patter of scales on his face, I ran a finger from his forehead to his chin.

I then whispered "E, V…Ev…" my eyes had fallen to his chest as I was thinking and then they snapped up and I shouted, as it startled him and everyone else in the tent, "Evra!" I jump in his arms and hugged him. "Of course, I remember now, you're my favorite punching bag," I said smiling happily and playfully punching him in the arm. He spun me around and we laughed together like the old friends that we use to be, I was so happy that I was remembering.

"See I knew you couldn't forget me" he said smugly as he placed me back down on my feet, I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"I can't believe how tall you have gotten, we used to be the same height for the longest time, now…you're a foot taller" I pouted a little, he just laughed at me.

"I can't believe how much you have changed, you where this little short thing and now…well you're practically a woman," he said scratching the back of his head with a puzzled face.

"What?" I asked as he looked at me with great concentration.

"Where did all the time go Cassy?" he asked sounding sad, I felt a little bit of sadness creep in too, I just grinned.

I poked him in the chest and said, "Now don't go making yourself feel bad or anything, we will have plenty of time to catch up later but for now…get out!" I said and playfully pushed him towards the tents exit and then chucked the bucket at him.

"Hey! Well that's one thing that hasn't changed, you are still pushy as ever" he said in a huff, I just laughed at his face and stuck my tongue out at him and he did the same to me, we laughed at each other. "It's good to have you back Cassy," he said to me warmly, his eyes where truly happy and I could see all the warmth from years ago flooding back in.

I smiled and said "it's good to be back…even if things are a little different" with that Evra left the tent to bring back more water, and I turned to face the two people who had been watching for a good while. "What?" I asked looking at them, I turned and went to the coffin and grabbed my bag of stuff, when I turned to face them again Truska was smiling at me and Mr. Crepsley was hiding a grin. "What?" I asked again, this was getting on my nerves, what had I missed that was so funny.

"You haven't changed a bit," he said to me, I looked at Mr. Crepsley with narrowed eyes; I did not like this game.

"Whatever, if this is about me getting exited for seeing an old friend that I haven't seen in years I don't want to hear it, if I remember correctly you are the same way, are you not?" I asked him with a pointed look. I watched him remember when we first met back at my old hometown, his smiled faded a little and he cleared his throat and went to fetch more water. After a few more buckets, Mr. Crepsley left and I had a feeling he did not want to return even after I had finished, Evra stayed so he could translate for Truska. She had put up a thing that looked like a closet door; it was to keep Evra from seeing me undressed and to keep him from seeing me in the tub.

"So tell me, how have you been?" Evra said, I giggled.

"Is that Truska asking or you?" I asked he laughed before answering.

"That would be from both of us, we really want to know how you have been since you…well you know" Evra said sounding unhappy.

"I take it that you and everyone else where against my parents giving me away to the Shan's" I said, I picked up the rag Truska gave me and began washing myself. I head Evra make a sound of disbelief at my words, I then heard him stand and begin pacing the tent's cloth floor.

"Of course we were, we all were…no one wanted to see you go Cassy" he said he sounded hurt, I sigh.

"I believe you, just…don't start crying, I have done enough of that to last me a hundred years of my life to come," I said sounding more than sad, even to my own ears. "I have been doing…okay," I said and I guess that they could tell I was lying, because Truska stopped with the bucket of water half way about to pour it over my head when her eyes met mine. I heard Evra move closer to the changing doors now, he probably didn't know how close he got but I threw the scrub brush at the thing and made him jump back to were he should have been.

"Sorry…" he said in an embarrassed voice, I smiled and giggled.

"It's alright," I said and I gave Truska a thumb up to pour the water on my head, she dumped it and then when the water cleared from my eyes and face, I felt her lips kiss my cheek. I remember how it used to be with Truska and I, she was like a mother figure to me when I used to live with her, she had strongly considered me to be like a daughter to her. I felt her hands begin to scrub my head and while she scrubbed my head she also massaged it, I closed my eyes feeling relaxed, loved and cared for. But the feeling was broken when the water was poured on my head again, I heard her giggle when I opened my eyes surprised, I hadn't been expecting the warm water to rush over me and block my ears. I looked at her and grinned, she watched me slowly raise my hand and I splashed her with a bit of water, she shrieked and laughed. I laughed too and then tossed the rage at her, she just smiled and then took my arm and turned me so she could wash my back. I finished and stood, Truska gave me a towel and I wrapped it around myself and used a small corner of it to dry my hair.

"So what did you do when you were with those humans?" Evra asked me, I had to be careful of what I said around them, I did not want any of them to know how it really was over at the Shans.

"Well… I went to school, made it my junior year and I had to stop in the middle since I came here, I had made a lot of friends and I have read a lot of books and at one point I even had a boy friend," I said. Truska was thrilled, Evra sounded "happy" but the other noise I heard did not come from either of them, I poked my head from behind the doors and saw Mr. Crepsley standing in the entrance looking shocked. I looked at his feet, he had been holding a tray with food and a cup of tea, but it was all a mess now and in pieces. "Are you alright?" I asked worried, he blinked his eyes and looked down at the mess he had made, a slight blush on his cheeks…I was guessing from the embarrassment of the mess he made.

"I'm fine" he said Evra walked over and helped him pick everything up, "thank you Evra" he said and he took the tray and walked out of the tent swiftly.

"What was that about?" Evra asked confused as he turned back to look at me, I had quickly dress so that I could help too but he had gone already. I had to be careful though because I didn't want to rip my clothes, I was wearing a black t-shirt that said 'Vampire kisses' in emerald green jewels and dark blue jeans that fit my figure to a T. I pulled my wet hair back and in a messy pony tail, but now that everything was taken care of I pulled my hair from the pony tail to let my wet hair fell to my butt, Truska came up behind me with a brush and gentle but quickly brushed my hair. She then did a quick French braid, when she finished she gave me a small shove towards the tents door, she wanted me to go after Mr. Crepsley.

"I don't know but it seems Truska wants me to find out" I said and I stepped out "I'll be back" I said before I walked away from the entrance, I walked around for a bit looking for Mr. Crepsley. A few people spotted me and they waved at me, smiled and said things a long the lines of "hello, you haven't changed a bit" or "you're beautiful as ever, glad to have you and Stephanie back" I was glad that with being here I was not going to be alone. I finally decided to go and ask Mr. Tall if he knew where I could find Mr. Crepsley, I made it to his trailer and was about to knock when I heard Mr. Crepsley's voice coming from inside, I stood still and listen quietly.

"A boyfriend!" he shouted, "it is just too much, from being away from her so long and that she isn't the little girl that she once was…it's driving me crazy. It also hurts, for her to remember everyone but me…" his voice trailed off and his pacing of the floor stopped.

"You must be patient Larten, her memories will improve with a little time, but if I must say something…maybe if you where around more when she was still with us…she would remember you faster old friend. You Vampires keep yourselves so distant from one another, no wonder she can't see you clearly in her memories" Mr. Tall said, he was going to say something else but I didn't want to hear anymore I quickly raised my fist and knocked on the door.

The door opened and Mr. Tall answered "I want to see Mr. Crepsley…I know he is here I have been every where else so don't try to lie to me, Hibernius" I said in one breath. His eyes widened as I said his name and I smiled and said, "It's good to see you Mr. Tall" I hugged him and he hugged me, "Can I come in?" I asked.

He cleared his throat and said "of course and it's good to see you too Cassandra" he said stepping aside, right when I walked in I watched Mr. Crepsley try to slip out the backdoor.

"Hold it! We need to talk" I said with a worried voice, he stopped, turned and looked at me. He did not say anything, he did not have too his eyes said it all. "Why did you take off so fast after you dropped the tray? I was worried, I thought you hurt yourself or something" I said it with a voice that sounded hurt, "You just up and left like all those other times" I said my voice was sad now. His eyes widened, he closed the door and stood there for a second and then he stood in front of me, his hand cradled my face as he looked at me with hurt in his eyes.

"Is it really my fault that you don't remember me?" he asked as he watched my eyes and face.

"Could be…but I wanted to tell you about the boy…I have a feeling that is what you are angry about, I don't know why I feel like I have to tell you but I do. I haven't been with him in months due to his ways, I broke up with him because he…broke my heart" I said sadly but I shook the feeling and said "so if you are worried about me going back because of him…I won't, I told you once before that I do not wish to return there. After all, even if I do…no one will remember me" I said this looking into his eyes and watching his face. My eyes lowered to the floor, I heard him breathing and I could feel his eyes watching me, he did not speak for a minute and I feared that he was angry or something but then I felt him hug me.

He held me like you would a child and it felt…wonderful, I was always used to being hugged but it was always quick ones by my dad and never by my mother. I knew my mother did what she did because she feared me, but why did my human father never hug me with real love. I rested my chin on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his waist. It felt nice just being held and not crushed into his chest, I then heard the most awkward thing ever…my stomach growled louder than it ever had in my life. I blushed and he laughed, "Hungry are you?" he asked, that is when I heard it a giggle.

I whorled around and said "So…you've been watching have you Tall?" I said narrowing my eyes at her, she just smiled.

"But of course I always need to know how my best friend is doing, I noticed you have fangs, are you going to feed soon?" Steph asked me again I narrowed my eyes.

"No, I do not wish too" I said, her face became fearful and she stood up off the wall and came out of the shadows her face was paler than normal.

"You can't be serious Cassy? You have to drink or you could die!" she said getting angry, I only rolled my eyes before speaking.

"It's my choice, not yours…so don't interfere" I said with sternness in my voice and she just growled at me, she knew I was right, it was my choice to feed or not. I know she is just worried about me but I was not going to jump to human blood right away, I wanted to see how long I would last with out it, for now animals blood would do. The color came back to her face but she still looked unhappy with me, I turned to Mr. Tall who had said nothing since I came he said he was happy to see me "I wanted to apologize for being short with you in the beginning. I didn't mean to act like such a brat, I just worry when things get a little…strange," I said smiling at him.

He chuckled and said, "I can understand what you mean, no need to explain yourself," he said reassuring me that things between us where okay, I then turned to Mr. Crepsley.

"I am hungry, do you mind if you take me hunting for whatever animals are around here, or unless Mr. Tall has things here I can have" I said, it seemed to shock them all.

"Animals blood will work for me," Steph said, I rolled my eyes as I looked at her.

"I wasn't asking you Mrs. Drama Queen, I was asking…" I stopped short and a memory flashed before my eyes, I was with Mr. Crepsley as a child and he was holding my hand and walking with me in some unknown place. I mean, I knew it, I just could not place where I knew it from, I wanted to see more but the vision vanished and I finished my sentence "Larten…" I brought a hand to my head and closed my eyes.

"Cassandra, are you okay?" Mr. Crepsley asked as he watched my actions, I nodded.

"I just had a memory come back that's all…it makes me a little dizzy, especially those that appear out of nowhere like this one did" I said I turned an headed for the door, Mr. Tall opened the door for me and I slowly walked down the steps of the trailer. The cool air hit me in the face, it felt good…why did I get so dizzy? Did I really need human blood that much to survive. It cleared my head enough to see that Truska was heading my why and looking worried, I raised a hand and said as she reached me "I'm fine, I'm fine" Truska didn't buy that. She supported me over to a fire not far from the trailer and set me on a stool, everyone was there and when I mean by everyone, I mean everyone that said "Hi or hello"  
to me this morning.

"Is she okay?" I heard the voice of the silver haired girl that had been with me two days ago, I looked at her and smiled.

"Hey Star, don't worry I'm fine" I said reassuringly to her, her eyes bugged as I said her name.

"She remembers!" Star said shocked, I watched her turn to the orange haired girl that had been with her.

"Star fire…still got that fiery temper?" I asked tears build in her eyes and she nodded to me while she cleared her eyes of the water works. I then had a plat of sausages put in my face, I looked up to see Truska smiling at me, and I took one by its sticks, put it in my mouth, and took a bit. I felt the dizziness leave and the unsteady feeling leave, I then took another…I felt tension around me relax, I looked at everyone with a smile. "I feel better, thanks Truska," I said, she smiled at me.

"So now that you have all of yourself back together…do you remember me?" a man wearing a goggled helmet asked, he had very large forearms while the rest of him looked less developed.

I smiled and said "Yeah, Hans Hands…it not that hard to remember someone who has the ability to run faster then any human on their hands" I said with a giggle, he blushed. Soon everyone around the fire had me naming them and I did, I named them all.

"So does this mean your memory is back?" Alexander Ribs asked with excitement, I frowned a little before answering.

"Not really…I don't remember a lot about my childhood, I only get a few glimpses here and there. Some of are of me and Steph and Evra, others of Mr. Tall and me. Then there are the few that I have had in my dreams of Truska and I, and then…those of Larten and I. He was holding my hand as a little girl, him standing with Mr. Tall watching Steph and I playing together in green fields of grass. The gentle hand that would pat my head and the fingers that would run threw my black curls…" I trailed off and stood; I turned to the horizon and stared out over the trees. "I have things pieced together, I know I do but…I can't put a proper name to the face, again I'm being messed with by destiny's sick twisted mind!" I growled, I kicked up the grass and watched dirt fly into the air. I felt Truska laid a hand on my shoulder and she gentle squeezed it, everyone was watching Mr. Tall, Mr. Crepsley, and Stephanie, all of him or her and me.

My hands flew to my temples and I began to massage them "Do you need anything?" Sive and Seera asked me in their unison talk, they are known as the twisting twins, I smiled a little.

"Yes but…I doubt you have one here," I said, remembering what I had forgotten to put into my bag of stuff, I heard the sound of snapping fingers; I turned to see Steph smiling.

"I know what you need, I'll be back in a second!" she called over her shoulder as she rushed back to her and her fathers trailer, she came back with something round in her hands and it was black and white.

"Steph you're a life saver!" I said as she tossed me the soccer ball, I began doing feet trick with it, bouncing it 20 times in a row or dribbling. I heard clapping coming from everyone as they watched me, I then kicked the ball a little up in the air and began to bounce the ball on my knees. I kneed the ball over my head, caught it with my heel, and began steady bouncing it off my heel and over my head to the tip of my toe. More clapping followed, I continued for a bit and then stop with my feet to switch to my head. I balanced to ball on my nose and my forehead, I then used my head as I did my feet and bounced the ball around…giggles came from the girls while the guy just laughed.

"How do you do that?" Evra asked amazed, I just giggled.

"Practices, hard work and determination on not quitting, that's all you need, plus I had to have all that if I was going to stay captain of the High School Soccer team," I said beaming at the fact I still had my skills. I then had an idea "Hey Steph, care to show your father how you tear up the fields with me, after all, you where the second best on the team" I said bragging, she blushed.

"Okay…but I haven't played since I got my real self back, who's to say I'm any good?" she questioned, I laughed at her.

"Is the queen of never back down and never surrender, really doubting herself?" I asked, "It's been a few days since we got our real selves back yes. But I can still kick this ball around…you never know until you try Steph" I said tossing her the ball with my foot, She caught it and smiled at me. She looked at the ball and then nodded, she dropped the ball and kicked it to me, and we began dribbling the ball back and forth between one another. We then started moving away from everyone "Come on everyone, just don't sit there looking impressed join the fun!" I called out to them, they all laughed and stood and came after us.

We moved the game out on to the open field and started a Soccer game, I was captain of my team and Steph Captain of her own, of course, Mr. Tall and Mr. Crepsley sat out but everyone else was in. The game lasted for 2 hours with 10 minute breaks, the game became really intense when Steph decided to go big and bad and shove me, I tackled her and my team took the ball. We got into an argument that nearly ended the game, I had explained before for everyone's safety that unnecessary roughness was not aloud. Steph could not argue with me on that but from there on out it was very competitive between her and I, the game finally ended when I kicked the ball into the goal right past Evra. My team scored 24 points and Stephanie's team scored 22 points, everyone enjoyed themselves and it really worked me up and appetite that I knew human food would not satisfy.

"Great job Cassy, you have really improved since we last played a game," Steph said shacking my hand, I just smiled at her.

"You have improved as well, next time you may even end up beating me," I said laughing, she laughed too.

"Yeah, that will be the day, the day I bring down the hot shot Commit…you never miss a shot and I always seem too" she said her face becoming a little sad.

"You just have to work on your footing and placement, which is all the trouble that you are having. You have the speed, you have the strength and you can launch an amazing kick, there isn't anything else you need to worry over" I said reassuringly to her, she hugged me and dragged me along to be with the rest of them.

The two adult males appeared beside us "That was a well played game Cassandra" Mr. Crepsley said proudly to me, I smirked.

"I'm impressed Cassandra, I'm even more impressed with you dear" Mr. Tall said proudly to his daughter, Steph glowed with embarrassment.

"I have had a good teacher, Cassy has taught me everything I know and she even drilled the team just as hard. Of course they complained, but they thanked her in the end because we always won" Stephanie said with a brag in her tone. I just grinned, I did not say anything, and after all, I did not need too. "There where so many shots I wanted to take of you if I had a camera and if you only would show up in the picture, you looked like a worrier on a battle field every time you went to kick the ball" Steph said with a giggle. Now I was glowing red, I rolled my eyes to show that I was listening but she did not say anymore, except "Hey are you alright?" she asked.

"Hmm, oh…yeah I'm good just hungry" I said and then I stretched and yawned, "The sun sure is making me tiered" I said after my yawn.

"You shouldn't even be out in the day light, but you have been for so long now…and even when your memories where sealed…I guess its okay" Steph said, "does it hurt?" she asked worried.

I blinked looking at her with a face of confusion "No, not at all…I think I have become immune to it. after all of the years I have been out in the sun, I have burned and badly at that but it's like any normal human burn" I said remembering all the times I got sun poisoning over the couple of summers I was still with my human parents. "Mr. Crepsley…is the sun affecting you? Because you don't look so good," I said to him, it was true…he looked like he was exhausted, he looked at me and he saw I was worried.

"I have to turn in for now, wake me when the sun is down" he said and he hurried off to our tent, I just shook my head before speaking.

"I'll take that as a yes and a good evening ladies and Gentlemen," I said, Steph laughed and Mr. Tall chuckled.

"What do you want to eat Cassy? I can make you something other than Sausages," Stephanie offered, I thought about that and sat next to her with our friends.

"You got ground beef, cheese and noodles? I always did love that meat Mac and Cheese you made back home" I said with a grin, she laughed.

"Yeah, alright" she said, Steph hurried off to get the things she needed, Evra came over and sat next to me then.

"So, how are you liking it back home so far?" he asked looking at me for an honest answer, I smiled all around at everyone and watched them talk, I had already had thought about this before he even asked.

"It's good to be back with real family and friends, this is something that I have been missing and have been wanting for the longest time" I said, he nodded he knew how I felt. "Tomorrow, I'll help you with your work, what you say to that?" I asked Evra, he smiled.

"That would be a big help, thanks," he said happily, I looked to Mr. Tall; he had heard everything and gave his nod of approval.

"Looks like I'm almost there, I just have to put the last puzzle pieces together and I will be me again," I said to myself Evra was watching me again I could feel his gaze. I could also feel someone else's gaze too, I turned to see in a tent not far from Mr. Crepsley's and mine, I saw yellow eyes flash at me, the wolf-mans glare was piercing but I glared right back and my once brown eyes flashed red at his yellow ones.

The sun did not take long to go down and when it did I was hungry again, human food digested to fast and I needed more than that. Mr. Crepsley woke and I told him about it, we left immediately and he took me hunting for animals, I took down a deer and the blood was quiet satisfying but it did not kill the longing for the other blood that I wanted. However, for tonight, it would have to do and I was going to have to get over the fear that I had about myself and how the blood could change me.


End file.
